


Equilibrium

by Sharkbait_Rin



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Family, Finding Your Way in Life, Found Family, M/M, earth bender levi, literally all the main characters, more tags to be added depending on what I write, some smut, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24791038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharkbait_Rin/pseuds/Sharkbait_Rin
Summary: Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he reincarnated into the Fire Nation. All hope had vanished, for how could the Fire Nation be stopped if the only one who could bring balance to the world was one of their own?
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 10
Kudos: 47





	1. The Avatar

**Author's Note:**

> I started this work years ago, and now I've found the motivation to do something with it. I'm not sure how often I will update since life is busy, so bear with me! I have plans for this fic, but I only have two chaps written as of now, so tags will be updated when I actually write shit.

_ Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he reincarnated into the Fire Nation. All hope had vanished, for how could the Fire Nation be stopped if the only one who could bring balance to the world was one of their own? _

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Fire Lord Grisha sits tall and proud, flames harmlessly licking up the sides of his throne. Before him, seated around a large table laid out with a map of the world, is his most trusted counsel, wise men and women looking up at their leader with admiration. The air is tense with anticipation as they await the Fire Lord’s input on their plans.

“Conquering Ba Sing Se would give us an advantage over the other nations,” Grisha says, his voice booming out into the War Room. 

“Our thoughts exactly, my lord,” an elderly man says, bowing his head. “But the Earth Kingdom’s forces are much greater than our own. I’m not sure our army could get through the walls without suffering heavy losses, at which point their battalion would overwhelm us.”

Grisha seems unfazed, no doubt having thought of that scenario many times before.

“Then isn’t it fortunate for us that we have the ultimate tool at our disposal?”

All at once, everyone’s heads turn to look at the figure sitting at Grisha’s side.

At 19 years old, Prince Eren Jaeger is known for his hotheadedness, but that quality is often admired within the Fire Nation. His brown hair remains unruly despite his best efforts to tame it, and his turquoise eyes glint in the firelight when he lifts his head from where he was staring at his lap. 

“Avatar Eren has mastered firebending,” Grisha announces. “He only needs to master the rest of the elements for us to become unstoppable. With my son’s power leading us, Ba Sing Se will fall into our hands with hardly a fight. The Fire Nation will win this war with ease!”

A deafening cheer rises up from the counsel. Eren, who sits deathly still, biting his tongue almost to the point of bleeding, clenches his fists. 

“In regards to Avatar Eren,” a middle aged woman says once the cheers have died down, “the counsel has discussed a course of action for his studies. The Fire Nation prisons are filled with earth, air, and water benders. It would be no trouble to extract a few of them and… _ encourage  _ them to teach him.”

Grisha thinks it over for just a moment before nodding his head. “A fine idea indeed, Lin. Our first course of action is to bring the prison’s greatest benders. Eren will learn the elements from them while we plan a course of attack on the Earth Kingdom. Six months should be enough time for someone as great as the prince to master all the elements, shouldn’t it, Eren?”

At this point, Grisha turns to look at Eren, who can feel his nails digging into the skin of his thighs even though the fabric of his formal clothes. Carefully schooling his face into a neutral expression, Eren looks up to see the calculating gleam in his father’s eyes.

A look that tells him that he  _ will  _ master the elements in the allotted time, or there will be consequences.

“Yes, Father,” Eren recites, managing to keep the rage building within him out of his tone.

The answer draws a smile from Grisha, though it is anything but warm. He turns back to his counsel, and Eren goes back to staring at his lap. Plans are being made, schedules are discussed, but all Eren can hear is a shill ringing noise in his head as he struggles not to speak his mind.

The meeting is soon over, and Eren is quick to rise. He’s never been more thankful that his father mostly ignores him. It’s easy for him to slip out the room unnoticed, grateful that no one tries to speak to him, because he feels like he’ll burn down the entire palace with just the slightest provocation.

He exits the war room, teeth clenched as he passes by the three guards stationed outside.

“Ooh, did the meeting not go well? You look like you’re ready to rip some poor guy’s head off.”

“Fuck off, Reiner,” Eren grumbles to the muscular blond guard who throws an arm over his shoulder, bringing him to a halt.

“Reiner, you can’t talk like that to the Prince!” The other guard, a tall, brown haired man named Bertholdt, says nervously. He turns to Eren and bows low at the waist. “Please forgive him, Sir, he doesn’t think sometimes.”

“He never thinks,” Eren says, shrugging off Reiner’s arm.

The third guard, a short blond girl with pale skin and blue eyes, scoffs. Her arms are crossed over her chest as she leans against the wall beside the door, looking positively bored. “That’s rich coming from you. You’re lucky Mikasa’s there to think for you.”

“Annie!” Bertholdt is sweating now, as if fearing the Prince’s wrath from such insulting words, despite the four having known each other since they were young. 

Eren flips Annie off, glaring at them before storming off, Reiner’s laughter following him through the halls of the palace. He barely makes it out to the courtyard before he punches the air with a scream of rage, hot red flames bursting forth from his fist.

“Fuck them!” He yells at the turtle ducks in the pond. They come swimming over to see what the commotion is. “They think they can just - just  _ use  _ me like I’m some kind of weapon instead of a human being!” 

The mother turtle duck squawks at him.

“Exactly! And he gives me a time limit, as if it didn’t take my past lives years to master all the elements. And all I can do is nod and say ‘yes, father’ like the perfect little son he expects me to be!”

Eren flops down onto the grass under the tree overlooking the pond, wrapping his arms around his knees and trying to calm down. It helps that there are baby turtle ducks hopping onto land and beginning to crawl all over him.

Frustration is a feeling he’s come to know just as well as anger. The feeling of being trapped in his own skin is nothing new, and more than once he has wished that he was born anywhere else, into any other family, with any other destiny that wasn’t so impossible to achieve. The Avatar, the one who is supposed to bring balance to the world, is now only seen as a pawn in this never ending war.

When the war began fifty years ago, the world still held hope. The Avatar at the time was a fierce woman who took her duties seriously, who fought tooth and nail to end a war brought on by the thirst for power. She seemed unstoppable; her mastery of the elements allowed her to unite the three nations to hold their own against the Firebenders, and at one point in time it seemed like the war would finally come to an end.

But then the Avatar met her end at the hands of Eren’s grandfather, and the Avatar was born anew, this time in the clutches of the Fire Nation. 

A Prince, torn between his duties to his nation and his duties to the world.

Soft footsteps sound behind Eren. The turtle ducks, startled by the sudden sound, quack and quickly find the water again, trailing off behind their mother. Eren watches them go with a strange ache in his chest.

“I thought you’d be here. Annie said you looked upset after the meeting.”

Eren snorts in response. “I doubt she put it like that.”

He looks over to see his closest friend, Mikasa, sit down next to him. She’s dressed lightly in black pants and a deep red shirt with the Fire Nation insignia on the back. Her sleek black hair falls past her jaw, and she hides her mouth behind her usual red scarf as she copies Eren’s position on the ground.

“That doesn’t matter,” Mikasa says, her voice soft and familiar, instantly making Eren feel more at ease than anything else. “What happened in there?”

Eren’s earlier anger sparks again. “Same as always. I sat there like a doll while they planned on killing more people. I wanted to burn all of them to a crisp.”

Mikasa hums in sympathy. “Eren, you have to be careful. If they find out what you’re thinking, who knows what might happen? Grisha will do anything to win the war.”

“I know!” Eren’s fist slams into the ground, but he barely registers the pain. “He’s so ready to have everyone under control that he’s already making plans for me to lead the invasion into Ba Sing Se. Mikasa, he’s going to bring prisoners from the other nations to teach me the elements. In six months, I’m going to be his best weapon to kill thousands of people who didn’t do anything to deserve death!”

Smoke begins to rise from where his hand is clenched in the grass, and they both look down to see the blades burning under his palm. Mikasa’s touch is cool when she settles her hand over his own, gently prying Eren’s hand away and putting out the fire. She holds his hand in both of her own and scans Eren’s face with a look that feels as if she sees straight into his soul.

“I’m just so sick of it,” Eren says, sounding more broken than angry. “I hate what the Fire Nation stands for now. All they care about is power and keeping people under their control. They don’t give a single shit about the people they kill, even if they’re one of their own. I’m the Avatar. I’m supposed to bring peace between the nations, but I’m fucking stuck here with my asshole dad who doesn’t let me travel the world like the Avatars before me. I can’t do a single thing to stop them.”

“You don’t have to be their pawn if you don’t want to,” Mikasa says seriously. Her gray eyes bore into his own and her hand tightens its hold. “Your choices are your own. Grisha has no say over your destiny as the Avatar, he doesn’t really know the kind of power you have. It doesn’t have to be this way, Eren. You can make a choice. It’s up to you to find your own path, even if it means not following orders.”

There’s something about the way Mikasa says it that triggers something in Eren’s mind. It’s always been a fleeting thought, only given the time of day during his lowest moments when his hate for his father’s actions outweighs everything else. 

Mikasa’s right. He’s the Avatar, and within him lies the potential for greatness. He only has one chance to right the Fire Nation’s wrongs, and he knows he’d be a fool to just ignore it.

Perhaps it’s time for the Avatar to return once again.

Eren pulls Mikasa into a bone crushing hug, his mind clear for what feels like the first time in ages.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he says into her shoulder.

Mikasa doesn’t answer, but her returning hug speaks for itself. 

* * *

It’s midnight, and Eren lays deathly still in bed, his ears on high alert for any sound out in the hallway. His heart drums wildly in his chest, the excitement and anticipation making it difficult to stay still. By now, the entire city should be asleep, but he waits one more minute just to be sure.

When he can’t take it anymore, Eren rolls out of bed and silently gets to his feet. He’s already dressed in his black boots, black pants, and a nondescript blood red hoodie. There’s a rucksack filled with some essentials hidden under the bed, and he quickly grabs it, slinging it over his shoulder. He doesn’t think he’ll need much else; travelling light would be the best option right now. He can always get anything he needs at his destination. 

There’s just one more thing he can’t go without, and he quickly scoops up the picture of his mother from his bedside table. Carla Jaeger’s face has always been kind, and Eren is glad her smile is immortalized in this photograph even though she is gone for good.

He stands in the middle of his room, taking one last look at the place that he has called his own for nineteen years. The walls are covered with firebending scrolls, the rug beneath his feet is emblazoned with the nation’s insignia, and the sheets on his giant bed are blood red silk.

He’s starting to hate the color red, if he’s completely honest with himself.

He knows this is his last chance to back out. After this, he’ll be branded a traitor and hunted down. He’ll no longer be an heir to the throne, and the thought makes him falter for a second.

He’d always thought that maybe one day he could become the Fire Lord and bring peace between the nations that way. Given his father’s plans, he knows that’s not an option anymore. By the time Eren takes the throne, the world will be under the Fire Nation’s control. 

He looks down at the photo in his hand. There’s that unmoving smile again, a permanent reminder of how far the Fire Lord will go for victory, and Eren feels his resolve harden. 

It doesn’t matter if his people consider him a traitor. The lives of the innocent mean so much more than a title.

Pulling his hood up, Eren silently sneaks out into the hallway. He knows there are guards stationed in front of the palace. He can’t afford to get caught, because despite being the prince, the guards’ loyalty is to their Lord first and foremost. Eren especially knows that Reiner won't hesitate to let Grisha know of Eren’s wanderings.

He climbs up a flight of steps, making his way to one of the many drawing rooms, this one located near the back of the palace. As with everything else, it’s lavish and decorated in various shades of red, but Eren’s interest lies in the window at the back of the room. He slowly lifts it open, sticking his head out to observe the grounds below him.

It’s deserted, just as he thought. He ducks out the window feet first, searching for a ledge to use as a foothold. The drop to the ground is long, and he would prefer to avoid breaking anything, if at all possible. Thankfully, there’s another window below him, and his feet make contact with the ledge as he lowers himself down. He carefully slides the window shut, holding on as tight as he can. He only has a few inches to work with; he knows that if he leans back even the slightest, he’ll fall, and so he keeps his stomach flat against the wall of the palace. There’s a tree a few feet away, its branches long and thick, and Eren slowly inches his way to the right, hands sliding against the wall and feet balanced precariously on the edge. 

With one hand, he carefully reaches out, managing to grab hold of one of the branches. He takes a bracing breath and jumps, using his momentum to carry him forward and grab the branch with his other hand as well. The leaves of the tree rustle from his weight, but with the slight breeze that blows, it doesn’t seem out of place.

Eren’s heart pounds with adrenaline. Safe from falling, he puts one hand in front of the other and makes his way to the trunk of the tree. He hops down with ease, glad to have his feet back on solid ground. From there he uses the shadows to his advantage. The moon is his only source of light, for he doesn’t dare make a flame in case it draws any attention.

Keeping to the shadows, he makes his way behind the palace grounds. There’s a stable reserved specifically for the royal family and, looking around to make sure he’s alone, he darts over to it. He keeps his footsteps light as he enters, but the inhabitants sense his presence and lift their heads.

There are three beautiful Eagle Horses resting in their respective stables. With the front half of an eagle and the rear half of a horse, the majestic beasts are both capable of speed and flight with the large wings on their backs. They are silent as they watch Eren approach a pure white Eagle Horse.

Zora has been his companion since he was a child. The two have watched each other grow for years. Eren remembers the first time he saw Zora fly, how amazed he was even if her flying wasn’t exactly the best. He trusts her more than anyone in the world. 

“Hey girl,” Eren whispers, opening the door to her stable. Zora stands, letting out a huff and shaking her head. “I know it’s late, but I need your help. Let’s get you saddled up.”

He grabs her saddle from the wall, throwing it over her back and strapping it on. He slips the opening of the reigns just behind her beak and ties his rucksack to the saddle. 

“I can’t believe you.”

Startled, Eren spins around, fists already raised and poised to fight. Mikasa stands there glaring at him, a bag slung over her shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Eren hisses, dropping his fists.

“What are  _ you _ doing trying to leave without me?” Mikasa counters. “You know I won’t let you leave me behind.”

“You can’t come with me. Once Dad finds out I’m gone, he’ll see me as a traitor and send people after me. It’s going to be dangerous and I’m not letting you get mixed up in that.”

“You can’t  _ let _ me do anything. It’s my choice, and I chose years ago to stand by you.”

Mikasa’s tone is forceful and brooks no argument, but Eren can’t stand the thought of her getting hurt because of him. She has a life here, family, friends. Her close friendship with Annie is important to her, and Eren doesn’t understand how she could leave that all behind. 

“What about your family? What about Annie?” Eren asks desperately. “If you leave, you might never see them again. Annie might hate you forever.”

Mikasa looks down at the hay-dusted floor, a look of pure sadness crossing her features. Then she looks up again and Eren sees her resolve steel. He knows he’s lost even before she speaks.

“I left my parents a note. One for Annie too. I told them I have to find my own path, that I won’t let my people be murderers anymore. You’re not the only one who’s angry, Eren.”

They stare at each other for a long moment. Despite knowing that his best friend will be leaving everything behind to follow him on a mission that might end up in failure, he can’t help but feel some relief. His father always says that Eren has mastered firebending, but Eren still believes that Mikasa is the greatest firebender he knows. If anyone can stand on their own out there, it’s her.

He sighs in defeat and motions to Zora. “You can tie your bag to her saddle. We’ll be flying out of here.”

She doesn’t give him a response, only goes and does what he says. He notices that she, too, is wearing a hooded shirt, her face hidden when the shadows wash over her.

“Did anyone see you on your way here?” Eren asks quietly as he leads Zora outside. Mikasa gives him a blank look. “Right. Of course not.”

The three head away from the palace. Eren is on high alert, constantly scanning around him. At one point he’s ready to brawl when a nearby bush shakes, but it turns out to be just a rabbit hedgehog. Mikasa rolls her eyes at his paranoia. 

They keep to the shadows, though they rarely see any people, unsurprising for this time of night. Eren’s mind is buzzing; it’s as if his entire life is flashing through his mind on loop. He’s never done anything as risky as this, and he knows that if they’re caught, it’ll be the end for their grand plans.

The thought of his mother allows him to put one foot in front of the other. She would be proud of him, he thinks. She’d want him to grab hold of his own destiny. Carla would never agree with her husband’s plans. Kind, empathetic Carla would despise the thought of forcing prisoners to become teachers, especially -

Prisoners.

Eren sucks in a breath, drawing to a halt and making Mikasa collide into him.

“What?” she hisses, looking over his shoulder to see if he spotted something, but the street in front of them is empty.

“Mikasa,” Eren whispers, eyes wide. “The prisoners. This is our chance!”

Mikasa catches on to his meaning quickly, but she frowns at his words.

“There are guards surrounding the prison,” she says. “And even if we got past them, how are we supposed to get everyone out? We can’t fly them all out of the Fire Nation. They’re in enemy territory with nowhere to go.”

“If we leave them, they have no chance,” Eren argues. “But if we let them go, then at least they can fight. We can’t just ignore them when we can  _ do  _ something.”

He knows this is risky, he knows it could get them killed. He knows Mikasa is thinking of all the different ways they’re in over their head. And yet, thinking of those prisoners locked up and tortured reignites the rage in his belly.

“If I don’t save the people who need it, then what kind of Avatar am I?”

Mikasa closes her eyes and lets out a breath. “We don’t have a plan.”

Eren grins, knowing he’s won her over. “Who needs a plan when you have the Prince on your side? Just follow my lead. It’s time to give people some hope.”

Their recklessness may be their downfall, they may crash and burn, but Eren knows this is something he has to do. 

It’s time for the Avatar to return.

  
  



	2. Breakout

“Just follow my lead,” Eren says, a vague idea forming in his mind. Mikasa looks on with scepticism as he tells Zora to stay hidden behind the tree. “Alright girl, you wait here for us, ok? If something goes wrong and I call for you, don’t hesitate.”

Zora pecks at his fingers to show her understanding and settles down. Nodding at Mikasa, Eren takes off down the street, crouching behind corners of buildings and peering through alleyways. He’s only been to the prison once before with his father, but he thinks he knows the way well enough. Thankfully, the trip is short and uneventful, and soon the houses thin out as the prison draws closer. They take to the foliage, using it for cover as they draw near, and soon they’re peeking through the bushes at the building housing the nation’s prisoners. 

For all of Lord Grisha’s boasting, the local prison is nothing impressive. Compared to the island’s other prisons, it’s a small building made to house only about thirty people. Unfortunately, Eren knows they can’t hit every prison on the island, but setting free even these people will be saving lives. 

They watch the building from afar for a few minutes, tracking the duo of guards patrolling around the perimeter. They’re clad in Fire Nation armor from head to toe, and though they seem to be the only ones there, they’re silent as they pass each other by. Eren takes a deep breath and meet’s Mikasa’s gaze. 

“Let’s go,” he whispers, and steps out of the bushes. 

The guards don’t notice them at first, light as they are on their feet. They get within ten yards of the prison before one of them spots Eren, immediately taking up a fighting stance. 

“Halt!” The first guard says as the second copies his movements. “This area is off limits to civilians. Turn back at once!”

Steeling his nerves, Eren reaches up and pulls back his hood. In the glow of the prison’s lights, his turquoise eyes are unmistakable. 

“You  _ dare _ speak to your prince like that?” Eren asks loudly, voice dripping with venom he doesn’t really feel. He’s learned what it takes to put on an act to protect himself. This is nothing different. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were conspiring against the throne.”

“P-Prince Eren!” The second guard gasps in obvious surprise. They both lower their fsts as Eren and Mikasa draw closer. “We weren’t told that you’d be visiting tonight. Is there something we can help you with?”

_ Good, _ Eren thinks.  _ They sound nervous. _

“You can stand aside and let us through,” he commands. “We have business to take care of.”

The guards exchange a look, and Eren wishes he could see their expressions. 

“Business, my Prince?” The first guard asks. “Alone, at such an hour?”

Well, shit. Maybe he didn’t think this through far enough. Heart pounding, Eren tries to think of a plausible excuse. 

Thankfully, Mikasa seems to be one step ahead. 

Lowering her hood, she steps in front of Eren and fixes the guards with a glare. 

“The Young Prince is not obliged to answer the questions of mere guardsmen,” she says, spitting out their titles as if they leave a bad taste in her mouth. “But since he is gracious and forgiving, we won’t torture you within an inch of your lives for defying orders.”

“Lady Mikasa, we only-“

“Your orders,” Mikasa interrupts forcefully, “are to let us through. We have come to give a special…  _ treat _ to our low-life prisoners, a gift for Prince Eren from Lord Grisha.”

Suddenly understanding her meaning, Eren gives the guards a cruel smile. He summons a ball of fire within his palm, playing with it as he casually says, “I’ve just been so pent up lately. Father thought getting out some of my excess energy would help me sleep better. And what better torture subjects than the scum of other nations?”

His stomach twists with the thought of how easy it is to say such a thing. He can’t help but wonder if this who he really would have been if the circumstances were any different. 

“Of course, Your Highness,” the first guard says, apparently satisfied with the explanation and perhaps attempting to avoid any conflict. “Our apologies for our insolence. Is there any way we can help you?”

Mikasa gives him a brief look, but Eren already knows the next step. 

“Gather the other guards. I’d like to be alone with those rats for a while. You may all take a short break from your duties. Think of it as a gift of my good mood.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

And just like that, the guards head into the prison to gather the others, and Eren drops his superior expression. 

“Fuck,” he breathes. “I can’t believe they fell for it.”

“We were lucky,” Mikasa replies seriously. “All it would take is sending one confirmation to your father and we’d be caught.”

“But they didn’t, and they won’t,” Eren says. “They know Grisha doesn’t take kindly to people questioning his authority.”

Mikasa’s only response is a thoughtful hum. They wait at the entrance in silence, every passing second giving rise to the anxiety bubbling in Eren’s stomach. His eyes dart around the area in search of hidden figures. What if his father decided to randomly check on him? What if he knows that Eren is gone? What if he’s raising the alert while they just stand there waiting? What if -

“Your Highness,” one of the guards from earlier says, leading his fellow guardsmen out of the prison. There are ten of them, most likely all benders, and Eren doubts they can take them all if things go awry. “The prison is free for your use. Please enjoy yourself, we’ll be very close by to take up our positions again.”

Eren nods and holds out his hand. “Keys,” he barks. 

The guard hesitates. “I’m sorry sir, but we are under strict orders not to give the keys to anyone.”

Eren clicks his tongue, but he thinks he can deal without the keys. 

“Fine. It’s not as if they have anywhere to run. Let’s see how they like being in a closed cell when faced with my fire.”

The guards laugh in response, and it takes all of Eren's willpower not to kick their heads in. 

“We’ll be out shortly,” he says, turning his back to them and following Mikasa into the prison. 

The heavy door shuts loudly behind them and they’re faced with another, heavier door just a few feet away. Of course, it’s already unlocked, and they step through with ease. There are corridors leading both left and right with doors spread out evenly along the walls. The guards’ overnight quarters, if Eren remembers correctly. 

“Do you know where to go?” Mikasa asks 

Eren nods. “There should be a mess hall at the end of this corridor. The prisoner’s cells are on the floors above.”

Taking the lead, Eren heads right, moving quickly. The corridor is long, ending in another door that opens to reveal an open, expansive room. Tables are spread out in the center, and on one side is the server’s station. It’s empty and spotless at this time of night, with only a few torches shedding light on the area. Along two walls are staircases leading up to the second floor, where cells line the walls overlooking the mess hall. Another set of staircases leads up to the third floor, and another that goes all the way to the final floor of the building. All of these floors house the prisoners, and they are all eerily silent as Eren and Mikasa take the steps two at a time. 

The first cell they approach holds a single man, and Eren instantly knows from his shackled hands and gagged mouth that he’s an airbender. The gaunt man lays still on a thin mattress that barely protects him from the cold of the metal floor. Eren hopes he’s still alive. 

They move on to the next cell, and thankfully the woman inside is awake. Her dark hair hangs messily around her face. Her cheap Fire Nation prison uniform is in tatters, but she doesn’t seem to care as she tosses a ball of paper up, catching it and repeating the process. Her arms are littered with burn scars that bring bile to Eren’s throat, and her jaw sports cut marks that travel all the way to her eye. Surprisingly, she isn’t chained. 

“Hey,” Eren whispers, drawing close to the bars. 

The woman closes her eyes, letting out a loud sigh. 

“Look, I haven’t done shit,” she says. “I know you guys get off on finding any reason to use your lame fire tricks, but can’t you let a woman be at night?”

Eren and Mikasa exchange a look. He can understand why the guards would want to punish her. 

“We’re here to free you,” Mikasa says. “But we have to hurry.”

At this, the woman finally looks at them. Eren doesn’t know what kind of picture they make, but the woman doesn’t seem impressed. 

Instead, she snorts. “Right, of course. Here to free me. And then when I approach the bars you’ll burn whatever inch those other bastards haven’t already. They really give you rookies some sick training.”

Frustrated and running out of time, Eren huffs and sticks an arm into the cell. 

“We’re serious. We bought some time, but we have to go  _ now. _ We’ll need help getting to everyone else.”

The woman raises a brow. “And just who the hell are you?”

At this, Eren grins. 

“Me?” He asks. “No one important. I’m just your friendly neighborhood Avatar here to save the day.”

Eren’s grin slips off his face when the woman spits at him. 

“Because the Avatar is so gracious,” the woman says. “Everyone knows you’re an evil bastard just like your lord of a daddy. No thanks, you can go rescue someone else. Or go jump off a cliff for all I care.”

Maybe he should have expected that, but it seems a bit unfair that people would dismiss him so quickly. He opens his mouth to argue but is pushed aside by Mikasa, who crouches down near the lock of the cell. 

“You’re taking too long,” she says. 

She summons a concentrated burst of fire from her fingertip, not unlike a torch, and gets to work cutting through the lock of the cell. Both Eren and the woman watch in awe as the heavy metal clangs to the ground and the cell door falls open. 

“Come on,” Mikasa commands, already on the move. “Next ones.”

Eren nods, but before he follows, he sends out a burst of fire from his fist, lighting up the room and drawing gasps from the inhabitants of the prison. He’s sure that anyone looking up at the windows from the outside will see it and assume the prince is having his fun. With that done, he hurries off towards the next cell by Mikasa, who is already halfway to freeing another prisoner. 

The inhabitants of the cells watch on in barely contained fear and awe as the duo cut through the locks, cautiously stepping out when their bars swing free. The woman from earlier follows Eren while her fellow inmates gather behind her. 

“You’re really the Avatar?” She asks, though she keeps her guard up. 

“At your service,” Eren replies as another lock falls away. He straightens up and looks over the gathered inmates, eyeing the shackles some of them wear. “I’m guessing the earth benders aren't chained up since the whole place is made of metal. In that case, whoever has chains on them, come here. I’ll cut you free, and if you can use your bending to open the cells, do it. We have to speed this up.”

“And how do we know you’re not just gonna kill us?” Asks a nervous looking young man. He, too, is far too thin and covered in scars. 

“Why would I let you go and then kill you?” Eren asks, shaking his head. “Come on, we don’t have time for this!”

“Listen to him!” The feminine voice is one he doesn’t recognize, coming from the opposite end of the cells. While Mikasa focuses on letting the people out, Eren zones in on a cell where a woman is peeking out through the bars. “If we can get out, we can fight! We have to take this chance!”

Eren rushes over to her, glad to have someone on his side. Inside the cell is a petite woman with strawberry blond hair and brown eyes. Her hands are cuffed behind her back, and although she seems to have suffered both torture and malnourishment, her eyes are full of fire as she stares Eren down. 

“Prince Eren,” she says, and Eren counts it as a win that her tone isn’t hostile. “Avatar Eren. I don’t know why you’re here, but I can’t do anything but put my faith in you right now. Let me go, and show me that the Avatar is on our side.”

Focusing his fire into his finger, Eren meets the woman’s eyes as he cuts through the lock. 

“The Avatar will always be for the people,” he says, and the bars swing open. 

There's a moment of silence where they simply stare at each other. No one moves, the other inmates looking on as Eren and the woman stare each other down. It’s only Mikasa’s cry of “Hurry!” that gets them moving again. 

“Turn around,” Eren orders. “I’ll get those cuffs off.”

The woman doesn’t hesitate in doing as she’s told, and soon her hands are free. She rubs her wrists while addressing the others. 

“Please, everyone,” she says soothingly. “I know this is scary, but for now, we have to trust them. Let them take off your chains, then help the others get out. I don’t know how much time we have.”

An older man pushes his way through the group. “If Petra says so, then I say we do it. If we’re gonna get killed, they’ll do it anyway. Might as well go down fighting.”

The other prisoners seem to agree, and one by one they line up to let Eren cut through their chains. Eren side-eyes the petite woman while he works, watching as she calms down the others. 

“Your name is Petra?” He asks. The woman gives a small smile and nods. “Thanks. It’ll be easier if they have someone they trust helping out.”

“I’m still wary of you,” Petra says seriously. “But I’ll go along with this for now. Do you have a plan for getting us out?”

“He doesn’t,” Mikasa calls from somewhere above. 

“Look,” Eren says, trying to cover up for his lack of forethought. “This was a spur of the moment thing. We’ll figure it out once everyone is free.”

As the last person’s chains fall away, Petra leads him up a flight of stairs to the next level. Air benders are already working on doing what they can to open the cells, but with a lack of water and earth, the other benders are helpless. 

“I’ve been here for a couple of months,” Petra says as Eren sends up another ball of fire. “I’ve been keeping an eye out for any kind of escape route, but it looks like the only exits are through the front and a delivery station near the back. They caught me sneaking around during lunchtime once, but I was able to see that the back exit leads to what looks like an alley just big enough for a supply wagon.”

“We’ll have to use that,” Eren confirms. “The guards are stationed out front waiting for me. They think I’m in here to torture you guys.”

Petra gives him a rueful smile. “I guess we’re lucky you’re not what everyone says you are.”

“Prisoners are out,” Mikasa says, coming up beside them. “But it’s been a while. The guards might come in to check soon.”

“We should go,” Eren says. “Petra, can you help me convince the others to follow?”

“Absolutely.”

Petra rushes over to the other prisoners, but a quick headcount shows that there are only 26 others gathered her. 

Frowning, Eren asks, “Aren’t there supposed to be thirty?”

Mikasa covers her mouth with her scarf, staring off at one of the cells. “Three of them didn’t make it.”

Eren clenches his fist. The sight of the old man in the first cell flashes before his eyes, and his hate for his father grows. Mikasa puts a hand on his shoulder. 

“We can’t let that distract us,” she tells him softly. “We have to focus on keeping these people alive.”

Eren gives a jerky nod, letting Mikasa lead him over to Petra and the others. She seems to have taken control of the group easily. She turns to Eren and Mikasa with a nod. 

“When we’re out of the building, we can use our bending if we need to,” she says. “But staying in the streets with a group this big won’t be easy. We’re bound to get caught.”

“But the sewers can give your cover,” Mikasa says. “There are manhole covers all over the city. Find one, and you can duck into it.”

“Sounds good,” Eren agrees. “Now let’s get the hell out of here.”

Mikasa and Petra take the lead, the group following behind with Eren bringing up the rear. On his way down to the ground floor, he peeks through a window, his anxiety flaring when he sees the guards gathered around the entrance. One of them taps his foot in impatience . 

“Faster!” He urges. 

Mikasa vanishes through a door to the side of the mess hall. Petra lingers, making sure each and every prisoner gets through. She and Eren head in after them once the final inmate is through. They come into what looks like a storage room with boxes full of prison uniforms and more shackles. Eren sneers in disgust as they pass by. 

“What are you two doing after this?” Petra asks. “If the guards catch us, you’ll be branded a traitor.”

“I know,” Eren says solemnly. “That's why we’re not staying. Once you guys have an escape route, we’re flying out of the Fire Nation.”

Petra looks intrigued by that. 

“Do you know where you’ll go?”

Eren gives her a suspicious once-over. “Not thinking of turning us in, are you?”

Petra giggles, shaking her head. “That wouldn’t be a very good way of thanking you, would it? No, I was asking because I have a suggestion.”

Curious, Eren nods for her to go on. 

“I don’t know what your plans are, but it doesn’t seem like you’re just going to go along with your father. Still, being part of the Fire Nation is going to be hard, even if you say you’re going to change things. You’ll need help.”

“I was thinking of asking for Earth King for help,” Eren tells her. 

“Exactly what I was thinking. I know he’ll give you an audience, but getting to him will be hard.” Petra gives him a blinding smile. “If you find yourself in trouble in Ba Sing Se, just tell them Petra sent you!”

Eren stops, letting the others move ahead while he stares at Petra. 

“Just who are you?” He asks. 

Petra waves him off, motioning for him to keep moving. 

“I’m a water bender, but I’m based in Ba Sing Se,” she explains. “I was captured on an operation gone wrong, but the King won’t have given up on me so easily.”

They’ve reached the end of the storage room now, the only light coming from the fire in the palm of Mikasa's hand. There is only one last door to go through: behind that final door is freedom, and the group gathered there seems tense with anticipation. 

“Come with us,” Eren says, grabbing hold of Petra’s wrist. “We’ll take you back to Ba Sing Se. They’ll know you’re alive and you can go back home!”

Petra twists her arm, grabbing hold of Eren’s hand with her own. She shakes her head. 

“I can’t,” she says sadly. Voices can be heard coming from the mess all and the floors above. “I need to lead these people to safety. I know how to strategize and fight. It’s my duty as part of the Earth Kingdom’s elite squad to help save these people.”

“But-“

“Eren, there’s no time!” Mikasa says, finally opening the final door. 

Fresh air hits their faces as the prisoners file out one by one. Petra gives his hand one last squeeze before letting go, following after the group. Just as Eren closes the door behind him, he hears a threatening, “Hey!” coming from the storage room entrance. 

“Shit,” he says, motioning towards the others. “Go, go, go!” 

They all take off in a run as the door behind them bursts open again. Sure that Mikasa and Petra are with the group, Eren turns around and gets ready to fight. 

“Prince Eren!” A female guard exclaims while more guards spill out of the building. “What is the meaning of this?!”

“Uh, I had my fun and now I’m going home?” He tries. 

Unfortunately, the guards don’t seem to buy it. 

“The prisoners are free! How could you?!”

At this, Eren feels his anger re-emerge. 

“Because torturing innocent people and keeping then locked up is wrong,” his spits. “And I’m not gonna sit by and let it happen anymore.”

Before the guards can process the fact that their prince has turned traitor, Eren swipes a kick through the air, sending a blast of fire towards them. With that as cover, he takes off in the direction he saw the others go. The group is nowhere in sight, which is probably a good thing since the guards are hot on his heels. A fireball misses him by inches. It doesn’t seem like the guards are trying too hard to hurt him, which makes sense given that he is still the Prince. Traitor or not, Lord Grisha won’t like it if his only son is hurt by any hand other than his own. 

Eren doesn’t know where the others went, but it doesn’t seem like a good idea to lead the guards in their direction, so he cuts down a side street as soon as he gets the chance. He pauses, lets his rage build in his core, and expels it through his fist, stalling the guards. He keeps running, making turns at random in an effort to lose them, but the guards seem to know the streets better than a sheltered prince. Two come at him from the right, another from the left, and the rest are still trailing behind him. 

A guard on the right charges at him with his fist raised, but Eren ducks just in time, swiping his leg out and tripping the guard up. He jumps up, dodging another punch and kicking out his legs, letting loose a stream of fire that knocks down a few of them. Someone tackles him from behind, but Eren lets the momentum carry him forward. He rolls, and when the guard is positioned on top of him, he kicks him in the gut. 

“Your Highness, you have to stop this!” One of them cries. 

A fist catches Eren in the face, and although it smarts something fierce, he doesn’t let it faze him. 

“I wouldn't have to do this if everyone wasn’t a murderous asshole!” He punctuates the comment with a fiery kick that knocks one of the guard’s helmets off, revealing a nervous looking woman. 

A few of them are down, but he knows he can’t take them all on. They may not be aiming to kill, but they don't seem afraid to hurt him anymore. He needs help. He needs - 

“Mikasa!” Eren exclaims, relief washing over him as he spots Zora land on a nearby rooftop. 

Mikasa hops off her back, spinning a kicking in midair and sending out a burst of fire so strong that it knocks back three of the guards. 

“They’re safe,” Mikasa tells him, dodging a hit and grabbing a guard by the neck before flipping him onto his back. “Let’s go!”

Zora jumps down from the roof, clawing at the ground while Eren runs to her. He climbs onto her back with ease and takes the reins, commanding her to take to the air. As she rises, Eren punches toward the ground, jets of fire forcing some of the guards to step back from Mikasa. Mikasa uses their fire against them, taking it and giving it back two-fold. 

“Take my hand!” Eren yells. 

Zora circles above once before diving, and Mikasa grabs Eren’s outstretched hand while simultaneously kicking a guard in the chest. Eren pulls the reins tight with one hand, commanding Zora to rise while Mikasa attacks with one last blaze of fire. 

She swings herself onto Zora’s back, and they watch as the guards futilely chase after them, unable to reach them even with their fire bending. Panting, the two allow their shoulders to drop for the time being. 

“That was reckless,” Mikasa comments, but she doesn’t sound upset. 

“But it worked,” Eren says, watching the city grow smaller beneath them. Zora’s powerful wings beat effortlessly as they soar through the sky. “You said Petra and the others are safe?”

Mikasa nods against his shoulder. “They found the sewers. They’ll lay low in there, but they have all kinds of benders in the group. Petra said she’ll come up with a plan.”

“She said she was part of an elite Earth Kingdom squad. I hope that title pays off.”

Mikasa’s arms squeeze around his middle. “We did all we could. At least now they stand a chance.”

Eren knows it’s true, but he can’t help thinking that he could have done more. He could have stayed with the group and found a way to get them off the island. He could have kept up the princely act and found a way out of that mess. He could have done something more, but there’s no chance now, and the prisoners are on their own. 

“For now,” he says, looking down at the ant-like buildings of his home city. By now, his father probably knows what’s going on and is sending everyone after him. “We fly north.”

North, away from the life he once led. North, away from a destiny he once had no control over. 

North, toward the future he’ll make for himself and the world of possibilities now open to him. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always appreciated!


End file.
